Archive for the ‘DIY’ Category

As a child, I went food shopping with my mom every Sunday. She always had a list of meal ingredients and such, and as we walked down each aisle there was always something I wanted that wasn’t good for me. Fruit rollups, cookies, potato chips, sugary cereals etc. filled with tons of high fructose corn syrup, sodium, and additives. You can give your kids what they want with these healthier alternatives, and save money at the same time!

Father’s Day is a great day for your kids to show everyone how much they appreciate what their Dad does for them. A simple but special treat for Dad is a handmade card. Below are some examples of everything from printables to handprints, and even specially cut cards. Your little one will enjoy being creative, and Dad will love a card lovingly created by them.

My kids are summer babies, so we’ll be celebrating their birthdays in the next couple of months. And the thing I love the most is that we get to celebrate them in our own backyard. For the past seven years, there hasn’t been one birthday without a piñata, but this year, we’re going to do something different. Instead of getting one to match the theme of the birthday party at the store, we’ve actually decided to make our very own piñata.

Although I’m not the most crafty person in the world and a making a piñata from scratch sounds pretty complicated to me, I found what looks like an amazingly easy tutorial on YouTube and I can’t wait to try to make a piñata with my children.

MATERIALS

1 cup flour

1.5 cups water

Large bowl

Mylar ballon in the shape of a star

5 party hats

Crepe paper of different colors

Lots of newspaper

Masking tape

Glue stick

Candy

String

Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix water and flour in the bowl until you get a smooth paste.

Inflate balloon and place a party hat on each of its points and attach with a bit of masking tape.

Cut the newspaper into long, 2-inch wide strips.

Grab the newspaper strips and soak them in the paste. Once both sides of the strips are wet, place them on the balloon until you cover it completely.

Wait for strips to dry out completely (this can take up to a day) and then make a hole on the top so you can take the balloon out and be able to fill the piñata with candy.

Then, you can start decorating with the colored crepe paper. Cut into 3-inch pieces and make fringes on the end. Then paste these pieces all around the balloon starting at the bottom and going round and round using the glue stick until.

Fill up the piñata with candy and then make two tiny holes at the top on each side of the big opening and put the string through these so you can hung the piñata.

One of my favorite things to surprise the kids with is a summer fun bucket! I take a bucket and stuff it with all the fun items we need for summer vacation. Here is a list of fun things to fill your bucket with:

Next week (May 5-9, 2014) is Teacher Appreciation Week. This is such a great way to let anyone who “teaches” our children know how much we appreciate their hard work.

One of my favorite things to do is to make a bucket filled with all of a teacher’s favorite things! As you can see in the picture, we fill it with snacks and even a little gift card for them to spend on lunch or an ice cream snack! This is helpful because I have the teacher fill out a wish list at the start of the year telling us some of their favorite things!

I’ve done several of these ideas, but the best thing about them is that you can adapt them to celebrate the teacher’s birthday, teacher appreciation week, or even an end-of-year gift. Take some time to show your appreciation to the teachers in your kid’s life!

I like to think I have a green thumb, but I’m not really good at gardening. In the spring I get excited about plants and the colors and greenery, but as the summer wears on I get tired of weeding and trimming and watering. Then I let everything go wild and out of control.

Regardless, I am good at growing herbs in a container. First, they require little to no weeding, they are trimmed all the time, and because I pick them often, I tend to water them regularly. I love to use fresh herbs in the summer, adding basil to pasta salads, cilantro to my black bean salsa, and parsley to meatballs and tomato sauce. They are the three herbs you will always find on my patio, but I have also grown mint, thyme, rosemary, and lavender.

Some of the best herbs for container gardens are:

Basil

Chives

Cilantro

Tarragon

Lavender

Marjoram

Mint

Oregano

Rosemary

Sage

Thyme

I like to mix several herbs in a pot. Most herbs need full sun or at least 8 hours of sunlight and dry conditions, and they tend to thrive in soil that is lean (meaning not a lot of fertilizer). I’ve never tried growing my herbs inside, but I do love to dry them towards the end of the summer. They will grow in different types of pots and can be worked into your deck, patio, window box, or front steps. When the plant reaches 6-8″ tall, you can harvest by cutting 1/3 of the branches. This will replenish and you will have amazing herbs all summer long. Plus, the scent off of the plants is amazing!

I love to watch my kids’ eyes light up when they find their Easter basket. We fill the baskets with candy and other favorite food treats for the little ones to enjoy, but every year I struggle to find other items to include. Here is a list of 100 items you can fill your child’s basket with!

Pacifiers

Pacifier Holder

Headband

Sippee Cups

Bibs

Onesies

Musical Toys

Garanimals Baby Toys or Foam Letters

Small Stuffed Animal

Toddler Cutlery

Pajamas

Magnetic Fridge Letters

Umbrella

Rain Boots

Coloring Books

Character Undies

Hex bugs

Crayons

Bath Toys/Crayons

Sidewalk Chalk

Bubbles

Fun Toothbrush

Fun Shampoo

Sunglasses

Stuffed Animal

Painting Smock

Art Supplies (pencils, crayons, markers, paints)

Art Kits

Bubble Bath

DVD

CDs

Blocks

Fun Cups/Plates

Frisbee

Dress Up Items

Play Jewelry

Kaleidoscope

Pool Toys

Posters

Fun Duct Tape

Suncatchers

T-shirt

Top

Kids Word Search

Jump Rope

Construction Paper

Hair Pretties

Yo-Yo

Flashlight

Book light

Sandals/Flip Flops

Beach Towel

Matchbox cars

Kite

Play Tool Set

Sand Toys

Shovel and Pail

Chapstick

Bike Horn/Bell

Watch

Character Bandaids

Temporary Tatoos

Water Bottle

Swimsuit

Summer Hat

Books – appropriate for child’s level

Sticket Books

Water Gun

Nerf Gun

Swim Goggles

Lego’s

Sporting Supplies or games

Jigsaw Puzzle

Balls

Cards or Card Game

Jacks or Marbles

Tape Measure (my boys loved the keychain ones since they were toddlers)

Easter is only a few weeks away and it’s never too early to plan your holiday meals. Instead of saving the best for last, we like to start with it…DESSERT! Cakes, candy, cookies, and more, there are so many choices! You can go traditional or get creative. Do you have a special family recipe for an Easter dessert? Share your delicious creations on our Facebook page!

Scarves are all the rage, and just because winter is over doesn’t mean they need to be packed away in the closet. During spring and summer, choose scarves that are lighter material and have brighter colors. Have you ever tried making one yourself? Check out some of these great DIY scarves!